I’m finally doing it.
Last week I was offered my very first book publishing contract. For years others tried to convince me to write a book, but I was never quite in the mood. My publicist, television and radio partners, managers and colleagues in my industry all had the same “tough love” lecture for me.
“You need a book. It will make a big difference in helping you reach personal and professional goals.”
I wasn’t so easy to convince.
The truth is I was still licking my wounds from five years earlier. I had enthusiastically signed a contract with a reputable literary agent and dedicated myself to 11 grueling months of writing a 60 page book proposal. After more than 18 rounds of edits, the proposal was ultimately rejected by every major publisher that we pitched. In a snap, all of my big visions, hope of a big pay off (big paycheck!) and sleepless late night editing sessions were brushed aside without matter. I felt disregarded, abandoned and WASTED. So much precious time had been squandered. I NEVER wanted to experience that again.
One thing I knew without a doubt—> I had an important message of empowerment for struggling parents and I would stop at nothing to support those who needed my help. I had big ideas for how I would explode my platform to make a difference. By the time I was broadcasting to millions on iHeart Radio, I didn’t see a book as necessary. In fact, the idea of toiling over the keyboard to find 80,000 meaningful words made my head spin. Where would I find the time? And more importantly… _would the effort really be worth the results?_
Why I was finally convinced…
Even with my bold and noteworthy mission to lift up modern parents to all of their potential, my impressive stats as a national radio broadcaster, and my massive social influence, my publicist wasn’t able to “sell” me to the big media outlets. Without a book, I was just another podcaster and guru coach.
The benefits of writing a book began to add up quickly to tremendous value.
So, upon doing some soul searching, I eventually said yes to authoring my first novel. This is what I learned:
A book gives you credibility.
So often we take our skills and knowledge of a particular industry for granted. We forget that others don’t know what we know and will find value in the education and enlightenment we have to offer. As an expert, writing a book gives you the opportunity to establish authority, improve upon leadership abilities and contribute to meaningful discussions in your area of expertise.
Writing makes you SMARTER.
The creative writing process itself serves as a conduit for growth and progress…so you don’t just SEEM smarter… you actually become more well-rounded and quick-witted. Plus, it puts you on a quest to search for deeper meaning in your industry and career aspirations.
Writing a book is PURPOSEFUL.
Not only is it rewarding to share perspective and know that your well thought out narrative will be meaningful to your readers, but writing about your life experiences and worldview contributes to deep insights, progress and change.
A book gives you a voice that is entirely unique.
There is great power in your written word and when you share your voice with the world you are given an opportunity to express yourself with a rare and distinct vantage point. Many of the most successful business leaders in the world use publishing as a way to exchange innovative ideas as well as to predict where the world is going.
A book… is like… REALLY good therapy =)
Ego aside, habitual writing commonly reveals solutions to your most pressing questions and life challenges. Writing is a highly effective and exploratory process that allows you to flesh out original ideas which often rekindles the flame of passion in a career that might have become stagnant and under-stimulating.
Books improve business.
The dedication and commitment that it takes to author a book shows passion and authenticity for what you do. It’s a terrific way to attract pre-qualified clients to your business because they can learn all about your insights through a credible and non-intimidating outlet. By the time they have decided to approach you for business, they have already bought into your message.
A storyteller all her life, Juliet Dillon Clark was always the one who could tell parents, the cops, or anyone else a great story to get out of a tight situation. She used that talent to write 3 best-selling detective novels. Today she will be joining us live in the studio to demystify the author platform building process!
Fiercely committed to guiding authors to achieve visibility and book sales so they can spread their message and vision to a wider audience, Juliet is a proven professional who will be joining us with tips on how to capitalize on the digital marketing process, how to connect and engage with your audience, and … how to sell more books! With six years of experience working with amazing clients with similar worries and concerns and guiding them to achieve remarkable success, Juliet’s mission and commitment is to help authors grow their audiences organically and authentically so they can sell books without wasting big bucks on useless promotions.
Meet Juliet Dillon Clark!
Juliet Dillon Clark was born and raised in Paso Robles, California. She graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1984 and pursued a career in Los Angeles. After working in the advertising industry for several years, she became a real estate broker and settled in raising a family in Northern Los Angeles. Much of her fiction writing is based on her childhood memories of the beautiful central coast of California where she grew up. Her company, Winsome Media Group helps non-fiction writers pen books and build author platforms. The company is also a self- publishing house with extraordinary customer service. Juliet is an entrepreneur who has developed several products, coaches, mentors, is a public speaker and also has a weekly podcast called Ask Juliet where she answers questions from authors and interviews successful authors about their platform building activities. A best-selling author of several books, Juliet’s perspectives have been features in the D.I.V.E Summit, WingzIt Magazine, as well as on influential blogs, podcasts, and radio shows.
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